FABTECH 2012 to Feature Manufacturing CEO Panel

“Same as it ever was” is not only a lyric by The Talking Heads, it also describes the outlook for the fabricating and manufacturing sector in 2013. A group of CEOs – who will be featured at a roundtable at the FABTECH exposition – remain optimistic that the growth experienced by many manufacturers since 2010 will continue for a third year in a row. The roundtable is part of the special events planned for FABTECH 2012, November 12 – 14 in Las Vegas.

The CEOs include Jerry Ward, Vice President of Metcam, Inc.; Rick Taylor, president and CEO of Jay Industries; Gregg Simpson, president of Ohio Laser; Shivie Dhillon, president of SunDial Powder Coatings and Patrick Thompson, president of Trans-Matic Manufacturing. The roundtable featuring these industry leaders, entitled State of the Industry: Manufacturers’ Executive Outlook, will take place the first day of the show at 12:30 p.m. Dr. Chris Kuehl, economic analyst for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International, will moderate the panel. The session is free and open to all attendees.

Each CEO participating in the roundtable represents a business that specializes in a different technology and serves a different customer base. This will ensure a variety of opinions during the roundtable discussion that mirrors the breadth of opinions found among the 25,000 attendees at FABTECH. The CEOs will discuss and debate several factors that impact business for manufacturers: energy costs, raw materials, regulations, areas of growth and decline, exports, uncertainty, skilled-labor issues and capital investments.

“The CEO roundtable will have something for everyone - whether you’re in the metal forming, fabricating, welding or finishing industries, or involved in some other sector of manufacturing,” said John Catalano, the show’s co-manager. “These CEOs are all distinguished leaders and bring varied perspectives on manufacturing. This makes the roundtable a ‘can’t miss’ event at FABTECH.”

In pre-show interviews, some CEOs agreed that materials supply will continue to be unpredictable, making it challenging to plan. For others, energy costs are a greater concern. However, despite this uncertainty, the CEOs all agreed that their companies expect to continue the growth that they have experienced in the last two years. Some of the CEOs predicted strong growth of 20% or more, while others are expecting slow, but steady growth in the coming year or two.

FABTECH is expected to attract more than 25,000 manufacturers to the Las Vegas Convention Center to view 1,100 exhibits, including live equipment demonstrations covering more than 400,000 net square feet of floor space. Simultaneously, the education program features technical, operational, economic, and managerial sessions where participants will discover solutions to advance their career and their businesses.

FABTECH is co-sponsored by five industry-leading associations: the American Welding Society (AWS), the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), and the Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI). Complete event information, including a schedule of educational sessions, pricing information and registration is available on the FABTECH 2012 website.